INTERVIEW - Andres Iniesta: I would never trick Barcelona

Andres Iniesta is an exceptional case in the football world. His immaculate behaviour and quality at Barcelona have earned him a contract for life. SPORT interviewed the Blaugrana captain.

Do you have the sensation that Valverde has found the right key?

Undoubtedly after the Super Cup which we lost, we've gone on a good path, on which we should continue growing as a team. The results are very positive. The challenge is to keep it up, improve, knowing there will be difficult moments and that sometimes things don't go do well. We have to take advantage of form and continue like this.

What's the key to this good start?

It's difficult to say a key or reason why. If now we get two bad results, we would be talking about the total opposite. The team is good, it's good physically. We do things with the intention to keep growing. Negative results would not change the way, the team feels comfortable and that is important. 

What differences are there with the new technical team?

Each coach is different, he has his nuances, a way of explaining things. Really, the base of the game is the same. Here that never changes. From there there are moments, different players and variants. Apart from balance, our idea has always been to dominate the games and be more comfortable. We want to take advantage of form and control the game, have the ball, be efficient. We're working on that.

The middle of the pitch seems closer together now than last season...

Everything comes in equilibrium. Before in theory we were quicker in attack, but it's a question of equilibrium. If the forwards are very quick, the defenders and the midfielders have to be very quick too. This was not negative when we found the balance. Now we are looking for equilibirum through dominating the ball and dictating the pace of the game. In all systems, equilibrium gives you the sense of dominating the ball and being compact.

You seem especially comfortable...

Sometimes we haven't played with a man open on the left or right. That gives you the sensation you can have an extra man in midfield. In the end it's important you feel good physically and have confidence in this sense. I could work in any system.

You start the season with 33 titles behind only Giggs (36) and Dani Alves (35). Do these stats drive you on to keep competing?

They are important stats, important for what they mean and how they were achieved. Day to day I don't look at what I can do, but the day to day, enjoying the play and doing things well. If titles arrive, great, that's what we're working for, we're not going to fool ourselves. The idea is to keep winning and making the club great. I focus on the day to day, confident that everything will go well and the numbers will add up.

This desire to keep making history saw you sign on again...

My desire, obviously, is that my story or link with Barcelona goes on years more. That's what I want day to day. Within some months I won't know what my personal feelings will be but for now it's good and I hope it continues like this.

Was it your heart that got you to sign?

The heart and a couple of things. As I said, I'm very grateful for the club for betting on me in this manner. That we've given ourselves the chance to evaluate every season and see how we feel and continue or not, it's something I'm grateful for because it's not easy to give so much confidence to someone as a sportsman and person. We are partners, in inverted commas, we've given each other everything mutually and I can't see it being different.

In the summer you spoke to El Pais and said you were thinking about your future, what's changed in these two months?

Beyond any misunderstanding or different opinions, the moment to reach a deal had arrived. When one wants to be somewhere and they want you there, there is no motive to no continue together. In the talking period all things can happen, some can think one way and others another. Nothing beyond what's normal or natural happened. People know me very well and as I said many times, I'm eternally grateful to Barcelona. The idea of tricking them would never come through my head. When Andres Iniesta in his team, as a player or a person, doesn't feel good I will not be here. I'll enjoy the moment and keep helping the team to be successful.

After you retire, have you thought about what you will do?

The (contract) 'for life' could mean a lot of things but day to day, the present rules. In some months things could change, in a year or in two. The contract is to evaluate each season based on what I could do or mean as a player. Now I'm a player and I have no other vision. In the future we will see.

Pedro says he imagines you as a coach...

(Smiles) Day to day I don't see myself as anything other than a player. In this period, going forward, I'll try to learn what I can, in all aspects of football. That's where I'm most comfortable, and where I feel best, in football. I'm sure I'll continue but I don't know exactly as what.

From what I've read you're not taking this World Cup as your last...

I'm a realist. There's a lot of chances that this will be my last time with the national team. I'm conscious of the moment, age and everything. Now we will see how it evolves. There's a lot of months to go for the World Cup and I hope everything goes well so I can be in Russia. After that we'll evaluate everything.